Introduction
Writing about culture is a rather specific matter due to the number of reasons. First of all, it is quite difficult due to the fact that cultures are dynamic phenomena, i. e. they always stay in development and can never be the same as they were in the past.
Secondly, if a person writes about his own culture it is a bit easier but if the subject of writing is a foreign culture it is much more difficult because one should know the history of the nation whose culture he or she describes and have at least small idea about the language and traditions of that country. What makes it even more difficult and interesting, is when one has to consider the cultures that do not exist any more. Greek and Roman cultures are the brightest examples of the latter, and in this essay we are going to compare them in order to find out their major similarities and differences (Benton, 2008).
Greek Culture
Greek culture appeared in the world earlier than Roman one. The beginnings of it can be found in the approximately 9th – 8th centuries B. C., when first known literary creations and ceramics products were created. The essence of the Greek culture lied in the depiction of heroic deeds of the characters of ancient myths and legend, and in the reflection of the outlook of the world that people who inhabited ancient Greece possessed.
The centers of the Greek culture were initially the Island of Crete, but then moved to the continent and developed to the level of one of the greatest cultures in the world’s history in the Greek city-states of Sparta and Athens. Greek culture promoted the cult of a human body and set the standards that are still considered to be ideal for a human being. Sports and fighting skills were also praised by the Greek culture. A special place in the culture was taken by the concept of sexuality, and nowadays it is widely known that homosexuality was a usual thing for Greek culture and day-to-day life (Skinner, 2005).
Roman culture
On the contrary, Roman culture did not recognize homosexual relations as normal, and moreover there was no cult of sexuality and human body in the Ancient Rome (Skinner, 2005). Romans preferred to praise physical power and fighting skills of a person, and the one who was a skillful warrior faced great respect in the society. An integral part of the Roman culture, as well as Greek one, was the religion and scenes from myths and legends about the heroes from whom all Romans originated.
Architecture of Roman culture, the same as in Greece, was a significant part of both ancient civilizations that are considered here. Coliseum, Pantheon, Acropolis and numerous palaces and other buildings in Greece, Rome and in their former lands all over the world demonstrate the greatness and the connection of the two cultures.
Conclusion
Greek and Roman cultures are so interconnected because of the political events that took place between these countries in their histories. Greek culture appeared earlier than Roman but it declined earlier as well, and the reason for the decline was the rise of the Roman Empire. The political situation of those times was difficult, while at first Greece was considered to be the most powerful state in Europe but with the course of time Rome developed and could compete with Greece in military and political power (Izzet, 2007). Romans conquered Greece including all its city-states because they were a united state and this allowed them to win the wars that took place between the countries.
Although at the beginning of the existence of Rome it was a republic, it then transformed into the most powerful monarchy in the world and Greece that consisted of numerous states that were in conflict with each other was unable to resist the Roman influence. The political, military and social histories of ancient Greece and Rome have so much in common that it is not surprising that their cultures are so alike, although having certain differences which is typical of any culture in the world (Witcomb, 2007).
Works Cited
Benton, J. R., Di Yanni, R. Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the Humanities, Volume One (3rd Edition), Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008.
Izzet, V., Shorrock, R. Greece and Rome. 2007. Web.
Skinner, M. Sexuality in Greek and Roman Cultures. Wiley-Blackwell (1st Edition), 2005.
Witcomb, C. Anciet Greece and Rome. 2007. Web.